Padlock.



UNITED STATES A"T FFICE.

PADLIOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1908.

Application filed December 22. 1906- Serial No. 349.024.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, OSCAR KATZENBERGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Padlocks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The invention relates to improvements in padlocks of that description in which the bolt-actuating mechanism is provided with wards, and particularly to a padlock adapted to the use of a peculiar key.

It has for its object the provision of means for guarding the bolt-actuating mechanism to render the padlock proof to a great extent against tampering by the insertion of lockpicks, false keys and other implements.

It also has for its object the provision of mechanism of few parts, simple and cheap in construction, and at the same time one that is efficient in its purpose.

It consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, such as will be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side view, with the back of the casing removed, of a padlock embodying the invention, the operative parts being shown in a locked position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the operative parts in an unlocked position. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the key. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view through the shank of the key.

WVhile the invention will be described as being applied to padlocks, yet it can be readily embodied in loo-ks of other forms.

The main part of the casing comprises the face 1 and the side 2 made integral with each other. Projecting inwardly from the face are the pins 3 and the pivot 4 also integral with the main part of the casing. The back 5 of the casing, which is a separate plate, is provided with openings to re"eive the ends of the pins and pivot which are headed down to secure the back in place. On the pivot 4 is journaled the shackle 6 extending outwardly through the side of the casing. The

free end of the shackle is provided with the catch 8 adapted to enter the opening 9 in the side of the casing when the padlock is closed.

Inside of the casing is the bolt 9 movable back and forth in the guide-way formed by the stops 10 and 11 and the plate 12, the latter being part of the side of the casing. On the arm 13 of the bolt is the coiled spring 14 compressed between the head of the bolt and the stop 10. This spring normally presses the head or engaging end of the bolt into the path of movement of the catch 8 within the casing. The forward movement of the bolt is limited by the shoulder 15 engaging the stop 11, and its movement in the opposite direction is limited by the end of the arm 13 striking the stop 10. The face 16 of the head of the bolt is beveled so that the end of the catch 8 moving on the same will press the bolt backwards against the action of its spring. On the lower side of the bolt is the lug 17 with which the key-operated mechanism engages to retract the bolt.

Projecting inwardly from the face of the casing in a central position is the pivot 18, on which is journaled the operating tumbler 19. On this tumbler is the dog 20 to engage the lug 17 to retract the bolt when the tumbler is turned to open the padlock. The tumbler turns between the plate 21 011 the pivot and the boss 22 on the back of the casing and is held thereby in its proper position relative to the other parts of the mechanism. The tumbler is held in its normal position with its arm 23 against one of the pins 3, as shown in Fig. 1, by the spring 24 coiled on the pivot 18. This arm 23 also limits the movement of the tumbler away from its normal osition by contacting with the stop 11. n the movement of the tumbler from its normal position to the opposite one, as shown in Fig. 2, the end of the arm strikes the inner end of the catch 8 and loosens the shackle so that the latter can be easily raised. The tumbler has an edge 25 concentric with its pivot. On this concentric edge are the wards 26 separated by the intervening recesses 27. The wards and recesses are of irregular shapes and all are different. These wards and recesses may also vary in number and size. Passing through the face of the casing is the tube 28 forming a bearing for the key. In the side of the tube at its inner end is the recess 29 registering with the edge 25 of the tumbler having the wards 26, which project through the recess into the tube as the tumbler is turned. The size of the recess is such as to permit but one ward or recess of the tumbler to register with the recess at a time. In the inner end of the tube is the post forming a pivot for the key when the latter is inserted in the padlock. This tube not only forms a bearing or guide for the key, but also guards the tumbler so that the latter cannot be turned by an implement other than the roper key. As a further guard the inner face of the tumbler, as at 31, is cut away so that the edge that normally projects into the recess 29 is quite thin. By reason of this thin edge and the recess back of the tumbler it would be very difficult to turn the tumbler by means of a lock-pick.

The key for operating the padlock comprises the bow 32 and the shank 33. The latter is generally cylindrical in form and it fits the tube 28 so as to be rotatable therein. In the end of the shank is the bearing 34 to receive the post 30 in the inner end of the tube. Extending longitudinally along the shank of the key are the bits 35 and the intervening recesses 36 irregularly disposed around the shank. The bits and intervening recesses are formed by cutting into the cylindrical shank to extend along its length longitudinal grooves of irregular crosssec tions. These bits and recesses are shaped to fit respectively the recesses 27 and the wards 26 of the operating tumbler 19. For an instance, the bit a of the key fits the recess a of the tumbler, and the recess b of the key fits the ward b of the tumbler, and so on with the other wards, bits and recesses. The relative arrangement of the wards, bits and recesses is such that the turning of the key in the padlock after it has been laced so that one of its bits engages with t e corresponding recess in the tumbler will cause the remaining wards, bits and recesses that are similarly shaped to successively engage with each other. The turning of the key through the intermeshing of the wards, bits and re cesses of the respective members rotates the tumbler and the latter, through the intermediate mechanism, retractsthe bolt and frees the catch of the shackle. To facilitate the insertion of the key into the tube its bow is provided with a slot 37 to indicate that the marked side should be uppermost when the key is inserted. When so inserted the bit a of the key registers with the recess a of the tumbler, which is the proper initial position of the key,

By varying the shape, number, size and relative arrangement of the wards, links and recesses a great variety of combinations can be obtained, so that a great number of padlocks of the same general construction can be produced, but with each of which a different key would be required to retract the bolt.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In a padlock, a rotatable operating tumbler, a plurality of wards of different formations concentrically disposed on said tumbler, and a rotatable key provided with concentrically arranged recesses to engage with said wards.

2. In a padlock, a movable operating tumbler, a plurality of wards of different formations on said tumbler, and a rotatable key having a cylindrical shank provided with a plurality of recesses extending longitudinally of. the same and parallel with the axis of rotation of said key and shaped to register with said wards.

3. In a padlock, a rotatable operating tumbler provided with concentrically arranged recesses of different dimensions, a ro-. tatable key, andbits concentrically arranged on said key to engage said recesses.

4. In a padlock, a movable operating tumbler provided with a plurality of recesses of different dimensions, a rotatable key having a cylindrical shank, and a plurality of bits extending longitudinally of said shank and parallel with the axis of rotation of said key and shaped to fit therecesses of said tumbler.

5. In a padlock, a movable operating tumbler, a plurality of wards of different formations on said tumbler separated by recesses of different dimensions, a rotatable key having a cylindrical shank, a plurality of bits extending longitudinally of said shank and parallel with the axis of rotation of said key and shaped to fit the recesses in said tumbler, and said shank provided with recesses between its bits shaped to fit said wards of the tumbler.

6. In a padlock, a bolt, a rotatable operating tumbler to move said bolt, a plurality of differently formed wards concentrically disposed-on said tumbler, and a rotatable key provided with concentrically disposed recesses to engage said wards.

. 7. In a padlock, a bolt, a pivoted tumbler operating to retract said bolt, said tumbler provided with an edge concentric with its pivot, a plurality of wards of different formations on said concentric edge, and a rotatable key having a cylindrical shank provided with a plurality of recesses extending longitudinally of the same and parallel with the axis of rotation of said key and shaped to register with said wards.

8. In a padlock, a bolt, a rotatable tumbler operating to move said bolt and having a plurality of concentrically arranged recesses of different dimensions, a rotatable key, and bits concentrically disposed on said key to engage said recesses.

- 9. In a padlock, a bolt, a pivoted tumbler operating to retract said bolt, said tumbler having an edge concentric with its pivot and provided with a plurality of recesses in saidconcentric edge of different dimensions, a retatable key having a cylindrical shank, and a plurality of bits extending longitudinally of said shank and parallel with the axis of rotation of said key and shaped to lit the recesses in the concentric edge of said tumbler.

1.0. In a padlock, a bolt, a pivoted tumbler operating to retract said bolt, said tumbler having an edge concentric with its pivot, a plurality of wards of different formations on said concentric edge separated by recesses of different dimensions, a rotatable key having a cylindrical shank, a plurality of bits extending longitudinally of said shank and parallel with the axis of rotation of said key and shaped to fit the recesses in said concentric edge of the tumbler, and said shank provided with recesses between its bits shaped to fit the wards on said concentric edge.

11. In a padlock, a bolt, a pivoted operating tumbler to retract said bolt, said tumbler having an edge concentric with its pivot, wards of different formations on said edge, a tube having a recess into which said wards project, a key having a cylindrical shank l rotatable in said tube, and recesses in said shank to engage the wards on said edge.

12. In a padlock, a bolt, a pivoted tumbler operating to retract said bolt and having an edge concentric with its pivot, wards of different formations on said edge, a tube having a recess into which said wards project, a post in said tube to form a pivot, a key having a cylindrical shank rotatable in said tube provided with a bearing for said post, and recesses in said shank to engage the wards on said edge.

13. In a padlock, a movable catch, a

i spring-pressed bolt for engaging the catch, a pivoted tumbler operating to retract the l bolt to disengage the catch and to lift the catch after the latter has been released by the bolt, and means for rotating the tumbler.

14. In a padlock, a movable catch, a spring-pressed bolt for engaging said catch, a pivoted operating tumbler for retracting l said bolt to disengage said catch, an arm on said tumbler for lifting said catch when the tumbler is rotated, and means for turning said tumbler.

15. In a padlock, a tube to receive the key, said key having a recess at its inner end, a pivoted operating tumbler projecting into said recess with the entering edge cut away to reduce the thickness of the tumbler at that point, and wards on the cut away edge of the tumbler.

16. In a padlock, a pivoted shackle, a catch on said shackle, a guide-Way, a springpressed bolt in said guide-way to engage said i catch, a lug on said bolt, a pivoted operating tumbler, a dog on said tumbler to engage i said lug to retract the bolt when the tumbler l is turned, an arm on said tumbler for lifting said catch after the bolt has been retracted, a spring normally holding said tumbler to disengage the dog from the lug and the arm fromthe catch, and means for turning said tumbler against the action of its spring.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

I OSCAR KATZENBERGER. Witnesses:

| EDWARD HOMER ELMENDORI,

l SUE AoKLIN PEAcooK. 

